THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
April 1, 1944.
MEMORANDUM FOR
THE SECRETARY OF STATE:
I have your memorandum of March 30th
in regard to the Galapagos Islands. I
do not think that some of the people
down the line have been realistic about
the preservation of the fauna and flora
of the Galapagos Islands for International
park purposes. It is a new idea for
which, of course, there is no precedent.
I think it has been viewed too much
as a bilateral matter between the United
States and Ecuador. The whole conception
is based on a different approach. It is
a hemisphere matter in which Brazil,
Central America, Canada and the Straits
of Magellan should be as much interested
as Ecuador and the United States.
If I were handling this matter, I
would interest some of the scientific
societies, museums, etc. of other Ameri-
can Republics and have the initiative
come from them rather than from us.
I have been at this for six or
seven years and I would die happy if the
State Department could accomplish some-
thing on it!
F.D.R.